Leicester City vs Manchester United: 3 key battles which could decide the outcome

After seeing their winning streak come to an end against Burnley in midweek, Manchester United will look to get back to winning ways when they face Leicester City on Sunday.

Here are three key battles that could decide the outcome of this game.

Youri Tielemans vs Nemanja Matic

Leicester City’s new arrival Youri Tielemans is poised to make his Premier League debut against Manchester United this weekend.

He is likely to start alongside Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy in the midfield of Leicester’s 4-3-3, where the Belgian will look to provide more urgency as well as creativity in the middle third of the pitch. His long-range shooting prowess will also pose a threat to the opposition.

And the onus will be on Nemanja Matic to prevent the former Monaco star from making an impact at the King Power Stadium this weekend.

The Serbian international has significantly improved under Solskjaer, and his aggression coupled with his defensive prowess will be important in dealing with Tielemans.

Wilfred Ndidi/Nampalys Mendy vs Paul Pogba

While Tielemans will look to add more craft to the Leicester City midfield, Mendy and Ndidi will be responsible for dealing with Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba.

Following a dreadful spell under Jose Mourinho, Pogba has impressed under the leadership of Solskjaer and has emerged as a vital cog in the United midfield, often providing his team with a lot of creativity in the middle third.

He will look to make inroads into the final third while his accurate long passes can also prove to be dangerous – making Pogba a definite threat for Leicester City this weekend.

However, the Frenchman will have to get past Ndidi and Mendy, both of who will look to restrict his time on the ball.

Harry Maguire vs Marcus Rashford

The Leicester City defence will be marshalled by Harry Maguire tomorrow, and the English international will be facing a daunting task of keeping out the Manchester United attack.

Marcus Rashford, in particular, is a threat, having scored in four out of his last five league matches. The 21-year-old is an agile forward, who can not only get in behind the defence but can also prove to be a threat on the counter, thanks to his explosive pace.

Therefore, Maguire will have his eye on his compatriot this weekend, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this intriguing duel, the outcome of which could have a significant impact on the result.